TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians about the dangers of drug use on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. According to a report, law enforcement seized more than 115 million counterfeit prescription pills containing illicit fentanyl in 2023. Fentanyl is also being found mixed in other illicit drugs, like meth and cocaine. To keep Floridians informed about the threats of this deadly substance, Attorney General Moody updated the Fast Facts on Fentanyl toolkit with additional resources to report online drug dealers.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “We lead the nation in the number of fentanyl interdiction operations; however, this drug is still killing Floridians. On National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, we are warning Floridians to never use illicit drugs—they could contain fentanyl, and it could be the last thing they ever do. Our Fast Facts on Fentanyl toolkit has important information about the threat of this lethal substance, including new resources for reporting online drug dealers selling counterfeit pills. It is imperative that Floridians know that just one pill laced with fentanyl can kill.”
Attorney General Moody’s Fast Facts on Fentanyl toolkit highlights the dangers of the deadly substance. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the substance killed more than 74,000 Americans in 2023. Although this marks the first-ever decrease in deaths due to overdose, the CDC still reports that nearly 8,000 Floridians fell victim to drug overdose deaths in 2023. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that seven out of ten counterfeit prescription pills seized contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Counterfeit pills have been identified in all 50 states.
The toolkit now provides information for reporting digital drug dealers on social media platforms. This new feature lists all the most effective options for social media users or parents of users to report drug dealers attempting to sell illicit drugs.
To view the Fast Facts on Fentanyl toolkit, click here.
Attorney General Moody launched the One Pill Can Kill resource on the Dose of Reality Florida website to raise awareness about illicit fentanyl being mixed with other substances like cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamines.
Floridians struggling with addiction can find treatment options using the free Treatment Atlas tool. To learn more, visit TreatmentAtlas.org.
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